A legislative plan to eliminate property taxes

The debate over Pennsylvania school district property taxes rages on.

For years, lawmakers have proposed eliminating the property tax burden, with little success. Advocates for change say the current system places an undue burden on citizens who can least afford to pay, like seniors and those living on limited income.

Now, a new piece of legislation seeks to create a permanent fix to the funding shortfall that would be created by eliminating property taxes.

The proposal takes aim at retirement income that is not currently taxed by the state. Advocates for the plan say the current system encourages the relocation of retired people hoping to take advantage of tax savings while at the same time placing the funding burden on working people, providing them with an incentive to leave. This creates a revenue shortfall that the legislation will address.